The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-02-03
ALUCKY BLOW.

ALUCKY BLOW.
The first sound that / can remember
hearing was the slam Of door; l pre-
sumo it reused me from my stupor, or
whatever my previous state might have
been; then heard my brother in-law
say:
.'Shut those windows, please; there's
draught enough to kill dozen well
people! And Kitty. have one Of the ser
wants bring that little air-tight stove
down from the trunk-room, and then
see that there is gentle fire kept up
here ut least until midday tom ,rrow. l
will be back in few moments
| had been trying to open my lips to
say something-to ask why l was lying
in bed at this hour Of the day, or to re-
quest my sister Kitty to put another
blanket on the bed. But l could not
utter word. While was wondering
what allied me and why l felt so queer
one Of the servants, who had entered
with the little stove, said to her COM
panion:
.Suro an the masthcr's that quare!
Niver before did / hear of amy one
wantin' to kape dead man warrum;
begorra, some o. thin gets warrum
enough where insy've gone, but not
the likes o. Masther Fred
Why, had Norah such sound of
tears in her voice?
''An' why, wonder. didn't some o.
thin miserable spalpeens round in the
back street git runded over and kilt in
steam o. him. Norah continued.
1T will about kill his sister,
A cold chill came over me; who were
they talking about? Surely no one
could believe that was dead? A
score Of weird tales which l had read
came rushing through my mind-ho
people had been buried alive how dear
ones had permitted husband. brother.
father, even mother or child, to be ne
elected IS past hope; and how, after
intinit suffering. the supposed corpse
had struggled free from the coffin
and winding-sheet and come home
again; and l thought, too, Of the many
who had never been able to free
themselves, and l would have shud-
dered if l could have moved muscle
or even an eyelash; but / was as inn
movable as any corpse
In what seemed 4 century / again
heard my sisters voice. Considering
that her only brother was supposed to
be dead before her very eyes, | thought
she seemed very blithe.
20, Otto,' she said to her husband,
.then you do not think Fred is really
dead?''
mo more dead than am, my dear;
he has evidently received a severe blow
upon his head, which rendered him
senseless and has thrown him into a
sort of trance or cataleptic state. /
have just been to see DR.. Burke. aud he
says it is very probable. Anyway,
Kittie, / insist that the room be kept
warm, quiet, and comfortable; If alive,
he is weak, and this place when came
into it was cold enough to have frozen
any invalid; and then, on the other hand
il he is not alive it will do no harm to
have the temperature little high, for
any sign Of decay will settle his condi-
ton beyond doubt-and until / am
quite positive he is dead l will give
him the benefit of the doubt
l had always liked and respected my
grave brother-in-law; now loved him.
How blessed him for his words! That
he would stick to them l had no doubt,
for he was perfect mule for obstin-
acy-no, no; never again would l call
him obstinate. but firm.
l certainly was weak, for either
dozed now or had faint turn, for the
next thing knew the room was warm,
a soft scarlet shawl was spread over
my feet, as l could see through my
half closed-eyes; the curtains were
drawn down. and the house was de-
lightfully still. Ny sister seemed to
have been pcrsuading her husband into
a grudging consent to something, for
he was saying:
We'll. have your own way, Kitty;
| cant pretend to fathom the minds of
you women. and you may be right. l
do not like the girl myself, and | think
our Fred is thrown away on her. But
then, you see, there never was but one
woman in tho world to me.
"You are the best manin the universe
Otto, do hope you are right, and that
dear Fred can hear what we say an
swered my sister, kissing me tenderly.
If he can. answered Otto. laying
his firm, cool hand upon my forehead,
..he knows that he is to be cared for,
and that no harm shall come to him il
Otto Kramer can defend him.
Alas! my tear-ducts. too, were para
lyzed, and thetears which | felt rise in
them could 60 no further.
Kitty now spread large white quilt
over me, letting it hang straight and
smooth, and then she and Otto left the
room. had faith ih them, and again
l allowed myself to lapse into state
Of unconsciousness. from which l was
aroused BY voice which | knew right
wel,-the voice of Feroline Palmer, my